Simulation training has been shown by many studies to deliver the best learning outcomes, as (when done well) it provides a realistic, immersive experience in the context of the learner’s job role.
With advances in technology, elearning software, and our understanding of how people learn, we’re seeing a rise in simulation-based training. Businesses can save on the cost of assembling large groups of trainees and reduce risks involved with honing skills for complex tasks on-the-job, while achieving greater control and insights around performance analytics.
A simulation based learning environment offers a safe way for organisations to help their employees can pick up the vital skills needed.
What is Simulation Training?
As the name suggests, simulation training is the creation of a true-to-life learning environment that mirrors real-life work and scenarios. Trainees can put real knowledge and skills into practice not just by reading books on theory or listening to lectures, but through physical, hands-on activity.
This type of training is so effective as it takes into account several of the learning styles preferred by different learners. Not everyone learns visually, or through auditory materials, and simulation-based training also considers the needs of kinesthetic learners who flourish through practical exercises.
Simulation-based training is a highly effective way of transferring key skills to trainees in a cost-effective manner. It provides an optimum way for employers to assess how well their trainees are putting skills into practice, and the decisions they are making in front of simulated real life situations. Learning in a safe and managed environment provides essential hands-on experience that integrates key theoretical concepts with interactive, computer simulated situations.
This immersive style of training, according to the US National Library of Medicine following a review of numerous research studies, provides learning “just like the real thing.” Simulation-based training can be applied across many different fields. In business areas, such as project management and customer service; the medical field, allowing for practical work in life-saving situations; the military and drone piloting, factory workers, commercial drivers, and so on.
Top Simulation-Based Training Companies
- ETU
Empower The User (ETU) specialises in the creation of immersive simulation training experiences. From their bases in the US and Ireland, they have a global client base of some of the world’s best known brands, including the likes of Microsoft, PwC, Macy’s, Merck and IBM.
As well as enabling the development of custom immersive experiences with their unique Learning Simulation Platform (LSP), they have ready to go training simulations honed over 10 years of experience supporting L&D leaders.
This content covers most of the key areas of focus for modern business training:
- Leadership Behavior
- Compliance & Risk Management
- B2B Sales and Customer Service
- Employee Onboarding
- Digital Transformation
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
If you are looking to create a custom immersive learning experience, their Simulation Builder not only makes it easy to create training from scratch, but to generate powerful learner analytics and skills insights.
As anyone in Learning & Development knows, what gets measured gets managed, so this data allows your team to laser in on the individuals and groups that need additional coaching and support, as well as identifying top performers.
Learn more about immersive simulation training from ETU and why it’s so effective over on their website.
- Day One Technologies
The Day One simulation training solutions are created bespoke to the unique needs and environment of each client. This UK elearning and simulation-based training provider can design a flexible system for both the current and future needs of your company. They have a client list including Lloyds Banking Group, TSB and many other well-known brands.
Day One creates simulated systems to match the look and functionality of your company’s programmes. This is especially important so that your trainees acquire skills in an environment that look and feels like the one they will be working with every day. What makes their solution rare, if not unique, is that when your systems and processes evolve, the simulations can evolve with them, reducing the ongoing costs of training content development.
The training process is as “true to life as it gets,” with the company’s trademarked “Dynamic Data” that introduces realistic scenarios and customer-generated details for trainees to work with. Day One Technologies promises “blow-your-mind realism” through systems that are easy to navigate from any desktop, compatible with your existing learning development system.
You can track your learners’ progress and performance, pull up detailed analytics reports and get a complete birdseye view on their progress throughout the simulation. Features of Day One’s solutions include simulation training for retail banks, customer complaints handling through peer to peer role play, telephony training, and inductions.
Day One enabled Linde Healthcare to move to online training in the use of their innovative therapy solutions during the Covid-19 pandemic. They created medtech elearning courses and simulations for healthcare practitioners to learn the safe and effective use of new medical devices.
For Roche, they created a bespoke solution for onboarding employees with new hardware, and with new in-house CRM software.
Day One work directly with end-user clients, but also offer white-label solutions for training companies and other elearning companies who want to add additional complex functionalities to their offering.
The Day One elearning solutions are excellent and their team are true leaders in their field – demonstrated by their client results, reviews / feedback and repeat custom. They provide a concierge service bespoke to your needs, meaning clients don’t have to go through a their own learning curve of getting to grips with the technology involved before delivery the training. Highly recommended.
- Assima
Assima is software training technology that allows you to create customisable, simulation-based software training and supporting materials quickly and easily. This award-winning simulation-based training provider is a company on the up, boasting high-level training, recording and editing functionality. One of the quickest ways of getting your team up to speed, Assima claims to accelerate creation by saving all records, mouse clicks, movements, and entries into one source file.
Particularly effective for technology providers, programmers will love the ease of the source file that enables them to make modifications for as many as eight different outputs. In layman terms, that means eight different types of simulated situations, including interactive training sessions, live help, preview simulations, and a test simulation file.
For companies, this gives them maximum control over their training materials and practices. They can create their own instructional material to use for classroom-based training, improving user performance and business efficiency, while keeping down costs.
- InfoPro Learning
As one of the world’s leading providers of simulation-based training, InfoPro Learning provides talent solutions for large organizations, easing inductions and training for new recruits. A highly respected global elearning solution, InfoPro Learning has racked up a string of awards and great reviews over its 20 years in business, providing blended learning, performance improvement elearning strategies, and cutting-edge simulation-based learning solutions. Their main focus is on building the training capacity of all types of businesses across industry verticals, so that companies may be more agile and get their new employees up to speed fast.
Their solutions offer lifelike and real-world environments where learners can become competent and confident in their jobs. InfoPro Learning is designed for a wealth of business areas, including medicine, aviation, and manufacturing. This is particularly useful for employees in hands-on professions where the stakes are high. Not just resolving client issues over the phone, InfoPro provides simulated conditions for emergency and remote field workers.
Controlled simulation-based training reduces risk as the learning environments are safe, while new recruits can master the skills needed in a real life situation.
In roles within the physical world, this can improve the safety of surgery, drone management, bomb dismantling, mine work and more, which can all be managed through 3D virtual representations of the work environment. As virtual and augmented reality begin to become more commonplace, companies can now train their employees to hit the ground running before placing them in unnecessary danger.
Within the fields of business, software and customer services, learners can master technical or soft skills without the fear that a mistake could lead to dire customer care or commercial consequences.
For these reasons, and as technology gives educators and trainers an ever improving toolkit, training simulations are seeing continued growth in popularity.
